The Tainted and the Timeless
by Etches
Summary: Sakura thought he was the most fascinating person she had ever met. Sasuke thought she was pathetic and plain. It's funny how some things change. Funny, and a little painful, too. SasuSaku.
1. What A Girl Wants

Disclaimers galore

* * *

**The Tainted and the Timeless**

_by Etches_

_~x~_

**Chapter 1: What a Girl Wants**

"Sasuke, you know I care about you, so I'm just gonna come out and say it. Karin's a bit of a bitch."

Sasuke sighed. It wasn't even 8:30 yet and it seemed that Naruto had thought now would be a good time to corner him about his relationship with his girlfriend, Karin. Seeing as he was currently driving the blonde to school and couldn't exactly get away, he had to assume that Naruto had planned this ahead of time.

He gave a small growl of frustration. "Look Naruto, I know you have a problem with Karin but I already told you –"

"And I already told _you_ that I don't care how great you think she is, she's stuck up, mean, and just downright nasty," Naruto huffed. "Not to mention her hair is always perfect."

"And that's a bad thing, why?" asked Sasuke, trying to keep a fair amount of his focus off the conversation and on his driving.

"It's very simple, my dear Sasuke. If a girl thinks it's necessary to spend an hour or more on her hair everyday then there's bound to be something extremely wrong with her." Naruto gave Sasuke a sidelong glance before adding, "It's been proven."

"Bullshit. Just because Karin likes looking good does not mean she has a problem. If that's what you're trying to say then Ino is the same."

"And that, right there, is the proof."

Sasuke's eyes slid away from the road as he gave his friend a questioning look.

"Ino's _crazy_! Honestly, I don't know how Shikamaru puts up with her."

Even Sasuke had to admit that Naruto had a point there, albeit a poor one. Nonetheless, he was going to have to learn that he and Karin were in a relationship – a very happy relationship, he might add. After a moment of silence Sasuke finally spoke up. "Karin and I care about each other. I know you don't like her, but frankly, there is nothing you can say that will change my mind."

He didn't have to turn around to know that Naruto was slouching heavily in his seat, grumbling with a scowl plastered firmly upon his face. He often did that when he didn't get his way. Really, he was such a moron sometimes. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder why he dealt with his nonsense on a day to day basis.

He and Karin had been dating for a little over a year now. It began as nothing more than a fling, and Sasuke had to admit his interest in her initially revolved solely on her (fantastic) body and exotic red hair. Then he learned that she wasn't nearly as annoying as the other pests that followed him around every freaking day. Karin could actually hold a decent conversation with him without sighing every five seconds with those damn starry eyes that practically every girl stared at him with. And the sex was amazing. Sure, there were times when she made him want to beat his head against the nearest wall available, but that was only to be expected – Naruto had a much worse effect.

However, Sasuke had to admit itwasmore than a little unsettling that his best friend didn't like his girlfriend, mostly because Naruto liked _everyone_. But still, the thing that Naruto couldn't get through his thick head was that he and Karin cared about each other and, above all, he was _happy._ So no, he was not going to break up with Karin.

No matter how many tantrums Naruto pulled.

And so Naruto continued to sulk the rest of the rather silent drive to school, which Sasuke quite honestly didn't mind. His ears needed the break every once in a while anyways.

He pulled into his regular parking spot and turned off the ignition. Reaching into the back seat, he grabbed Naruto's stupid orange backpack and promptly chucked it at his head.

"_Ow!_"

"We have to get to class," Sasuke growled out, "so stop acting like a girl and get over it."

Naruto rubbed his head indignantly, muttering foul curses under his breath. But still, he did as he was told and stepped out of the car, slamming the door closed and scowling at the Uchiha. "Happy?" he said angrily.

Sasuke ignored him and continued to stalk towards the school.

The pair walked in silence, every once in a while nodding to those who waved and called to them. Being so well known _was_ irritating as hell most of the time, Sasuke noted, but it certainly did have its perks. The students made way for him and Naruto almost without a second thought, and not once did a careless idiot stumble into once in all his years of attending Konoha Academy. Well, to be fair, there were times that Naruto or Kiba decided to try and hip-check him into a locker or a nearby trash can, but that was beside the point.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto groaned. Sasuke merely glared at him before wrapping the arm that wasn't holding his textbooks around Karin, who greeted him with a peck on the lips.

"Good morning," she said before latching onto his arm.

He nodded in return and proceeded onto the treacherous path to his locker.

"Hey, we're going to the movies tonight, right Sasuke?" asked Karin.

"No way!" denied Naruto in his typical obnoxious manner. "We've got a game tonight and there's no way the bastard can miss it!"

Karin glowered. "But he _always_ cancels on our dates for games."

"Well maybe he wouldn't have to cancel if you actually planned one of your stupid dates with him every once in a while," he retorted, crossing his arms indignantly.

Sasuke tried his best to block the two's arguing out of his already aching head, but unfortunately he was finding it immensely difficult this time around. He rolled his eyes. When he went to tell the two to shut up, he locked eyes with a girl standing alone by Kakashi's room. He noticed the pink hair and immediately recognized her as Sakura Haruno.

Sakura Haruno was a rather introverted character whose usual company consisted of books, sweatpants, and the odd Ino. From what Sasuke had gathered, she had transferred to Konoha Academy sometime earlier this year and it soon became clear that the bookworm was a bit of a genius when it came to school. Ever the bold one, Haruno's bangs always seemed to cover a large portion of her face, her eyes were able to see just enough to ensure she didn't bump into people in the hallways.

It also wasn't much of secret that Haruno had a bit of a crush on the young Uchiha. She was probably one of the more pathetic members of Sasuke's damn horde of admirers. Even now, he could tell blood was rushing to her face in at an alarming speed, her eyes large and doe-like.

"Tch," he muttered under his breath. Growing more agitated by the second, he pulled Karin – who was still arguing with Naruto – along and stalked the rest of the way to class.

* * *

There was something about Sasuke Uchiha that always seemed to stand out. It wasn't just his breathtakingly good looks, nor is sharp mind or natural athletic talent. Perhaps it was the air of utter self-assurance that he carried with him wherever he went, but then it could also be his intense, onyx eyes that were always so focused on everything he did. Whatever it was, it had caught Sakura's attention from day one and she hadn't been able to stop sneaking glimpses of him since.

Her heart was still pounding from the measly two seconds he glanced at her. _Why am I so pathetic?_ She mentally groaned.

There she was, minding her own business when_ he _walked past. One moment she was waiting for the bell to ring, the next she was suddenly lost in deep dark eyes. And no amount of choked gasps of air could make her heart start beating again. God, her face was probably still red, and that was over an hour ago.

Sakura now sat in her regular desk by the window. She always tried her best to steal a seat next to the windows in every one of her classes. Being one of the few students who finished their work early (or at all), sometimes she liked to stare out into the clouds instead of reading ahead and remember a time when she didn't have to look at the sky to feel such peace.

The clouds were an ever-changing species. They came and they went, sometimes leaving in peaceful, soft tendrils of smoke only to return full force in raging, billowing blockades, crashing over cities and valleys alike with an intense emotion that could only be described as beautiful. And no matter how the lands below them changed or how often man re-sculpted the ground to their desire, still they floated across the sky, persistent and stubborn.

Sakura liked to think that she could be like a cloud if she really tried.

Coming back to reality, she double-checked her answers and stood up to hand her assignment in. At least, she was about to but her books had been roughly pushed onto the floor. Sakura didn't have to look up to know who was looming over her.

"What's up, trailer whore?"

Grumbling obscenities under her breath when she noticed the teacher Kakashi wasn't in the classroom, Sakura turned to look at a pair of deep red eyes placed on a confident face with cheekbones a model would kill for.

"Karin," she spoke finally, willing with all her might for Kakashi to return quickly.

Karin looked pointedly down at Sakura's textbook before slowly lifting her piercing gaze and meeting Sakura's emerald ones behind her bangs. "Aren't you going to pick those up?" she asked.

Sakura blinked. "But you –"

"They were in my way. Now are you going to pick those up or what?"

Bowing her head in defeat, Sakura ignored the stares of her classmates and bent over in her desk. She hesitantly lifted her things from the cold floor. When she lifted her head, she found herself face to face with her tormentor.

"I saw you staring at my boyfriend earlier today. Care to explain?" Karin asked, seemingly with all the patience in the world.

Sakura felt her stomach churn uncomfortably. "Um, I was just waiting for the bell to ring and then he walked past. It was nothing really, just an –"

"Listen up, _Sakura_," Karin spat with more than a hint of malice, "I don't care what you say it was, it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Sasuke is my boyfriend, yes?"

There was really nothing Sakura could do but nod.

"And since he is my boyfriend, he belongs to me. Correct?"

Another nod.

"So what business do you have looking at him?"

Shame-faced, Sakura obediently replied, "None."

"It's comforting that you understand that much. Now that that's cleared, _stay away from Sasuke_. Got it?"

Sakura hung her head and clenched her fists. "Yes."

Karin sneered, turned her nose up and strutted back to her friends.

Sakura sat silently for a moment. Lethargically, she began to organize her messed up papers. She soon found herself angling her head back to the windows to the sky.

A cloud wouldn't have sat quietly and taken the humiliation.

* * *

"_Psst_, hey…hey Forehead!"

Sakura did her best to ignore the rather loud whispers from behind her. Instead, she diligently looked through her biology textbook and studied the key terms like a good student.

"Forehead…what are you doing after school?"

Sakura grinned despite herself. Ino had been at this for the past five minutes and she suspected she could go for five more before lashing out violently, as per usual. Mocking an exasperated groan, she twisted in her seat and asked, "What are you plotting now, Ino-pig?"

Ino had been her best friend since the days when math consisted of colouring various circles and squares and "free time" really meant free time and not "finish incomplete assignments/study". Even then, Ino was stunning. From her pale, blonde locks to her slender figure, everything about her seemed to shine. So when Ino suggested that she transfer to Konoha after her father passed away, Sakura found that she couldn't resist the blonde's big, blue eyes for long and soon relented. Within the month, she was giving her mother a list of logical reasons of why she should transfer while already filling out Konoha's application forms.

"Just some well-deserved girl time at the mall," Ino answered her previous question easily before shooting a question of her own. "What's that under your binder?"

"A textbook."

"…Is that a guide to…_appendectomies_?" Ino demanded, incredulous.

Chiyo shot the two of them a glare and Sakura smiled apologetically at the elderly teacher before whirling on her friend. "Will you keep it down?" she said harshly but quietly. "And yes, it is."

"Why do you need that?" Ino's voice had dropped back down to a more suitable level. "If you wanted something to read then you should've asked me. My books are _way_ more interesting than that."

Sakura quickly shook her head, "I'll pass." Frankly, she didn't have the strength of mind to read one of Ino's die-hard romance novels.

"Well then why do you have it?"

"You know I want to become a doctor."

"So?"

"_So,_" Sakura stressed, "it's good to actually understand the field that you plan on entering into as opposed to going in blind."

Ino scoffed. "That doesn't mean you have to read about every surgery and illness that ever existed."

Sakura glared at her. Deciding to change the subject, she took a much safer route with her next response instead of egging the blonde on. "What were you planning to do at the mall?"

Ino leaned closer and replied, "Well, first we're buying me those strappy shoes I saw the other day, and then you're finally going to let me get you some new clothes."

Sakura looked down at herself. A worn, baggy sweater and worn, coffee-stained sweatpants. Though she truly had exotic colourings that should have guaranteed her at least a semi pretty face, she still wasn't much to look at. Her long pink hair fell in frizzy tangles down her back and covered the majority of her face, including her emerald eyes, which in truth were the only things she really like about her appearance. But still, she was by no means ugly and that was enough for her.

"I don't need any more clothes, Ino," said Sakura through narrowed eyes.

"Of course you do." Ino whipped her ponytail behind her back. "Your outfit alone proves I'm right."

Sakura scowled. "I'll have you know that this outfit is comfortable and fits me just fine. Rotten Ino-pig."

They had this argument so many times it was becoming a little predictable.

Luckily, the bell rang and the two gave wordlessly picked up their things and headed out of class. Neither won the argument and so the apocalyptic topic of Sakura's clothing was temporarily dropped.

After going to their lockers and grabbing their books, bags, and jackets, Sakura and Ino walked outside. Once there, Sakura breathed in the crisp autumn air, loving the feel of it against her fingertips. Fall was always a beautiful time of year.

She was called out of her reverie by the greeting of her pale friend, Hinata, who hastily walked up to her and Ino and smile shyly at them.

Hinata was a quiet girl. She never spoke out of turn and her sweet, calm nature helped to neutralize the devastating effects of Ino and Sakura's. Her silky, dark hair and violet eyes signified her status as part of the wealthy Hyuga Clan and it was a known fact that if anyone were to cross her, then they would be calling a war against her entire family, which was nearly on the same level as suicide.

"Sakura," Hinata started in that soft voice of hers, "I'm really sorry about what happened in English today."

Damn it.

Immediately, Ino whirled on her, eyes flashing. "Why? What happened in English today?"

Sensing her mistake, Hinata put her hands in front of her and tried her best to amend the situation. "Don't be angry, Ino. It was just a little – "

"What happened, Sakura?"

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek. Oh balls, she knew Ino well enough to tell by her pinched nose that she was not going to let this go.

"Nothing," she replied quickly, "I just had a small confrontation with Karin. No big deal."

Ino's eyes darkened. "No big deal?" She turned to Hinata, who nervously pinched the sides of her coat. "Hinata, tell me what happened."

Reluctantly, the Hyuga heiress told Ino how Karin marched towards Sakura as soon as Kakashi had left and childishly knocked her books down. Sakura was grateful that she left out the main part of why Karin talked to her in the first place: her staring at a certain Uchiha. Hinata merely left it at the name calling.

Ino, hands on her hips, turned to Sakura with a chastising expression. "How long as this been going on for?"

Sakura shrugged and avoided eye contact. "About a month…maybe a little less."

Ino threw her hands up into the air in exasperation. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've stopped all of this a _long_ time ago!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and replied, "Because I knew that you and Karin would destroy the school if you guys were pit against each other. Besides, I can take care of myself."

"Then why haven't you done anything to put an end to it?"

Sakura stopped. This was something that had been bothering her for a quite a while now. It wasn't as if she _liked_ getting bullied – it would be quite worrisome if she did. But she had always assumed that if she had gotten herself into a situation not unlike the one she was in now, she would pull out all the stops to give whoever dared torment her hell. And yet here she was, meek and helpless, not being able to do anything except what Karin told her.

Sakura felt a bitter taste fill her mouth. She was so pathetic.

Ino, for her part, seemed to sense the inner turmoil churning in her best friend's mind and her expression softened. "Let's make a deal," she suggested.

Sakura looked up to meet her gaze. She quirked an eyebrow to show she was listening.

"I promise I won't go after Karin as long as you promise to say something if that bitch or anyone else tries to make fun of you or something. Deal?"

Hinata stayed quiet, glancing back and forth between the two.

Sakura mulled it over. It was a lot better than the embarrassment of having someone else have to stand up for her…

"Fine," she answered finally.

Ino nodded. "Good. Just…just listen to your inner bitch, okay? Everyone's got one, and believe me yours is extra sassy when provoked."

Sakura laughed. Even Hinata had to give a smile at that one.

The trio walked towards Ino's car, Hinata pointing out that most of the students had left already. The much emptier atmosphere was a nice change.

It was a little harder than normal to drag Hinata along for Ino's planned trip to the mall – "For God's sake, just _phone _your dad!" – but eventually they were all buckled and ready to go.

As Ino floored the car into reverse and sped out of the school parking lot, Sakura, who was well used to her driving by now (her mother's wasn't much different), laughed at a very much panicked Hinata and stared out the window.

Her inner bitch, huh?

* * *

All Sasuke wanted was to go to his room, finish his homework, and go to bed. But no. Because his roommate was _Naruto_, he was stuck playing babysitter.

After his team had dominated the game earlier, Naruto insisted that they have a victory party. So of course the idiot had to go and tell the team that they were both hosting it.

After his family was killed, Sasuke was taken into the care of Kakashi Hatake, local high school teacher and national pervert. How the government considered him to be a fit enough man to become a foster parent to children subjected to most possibly sanity-altering incidences was beyond him, especially considering his questionable reading material that he laid _right in the middle of the coffee table_. But Kakashi was easy enough to get along with and he and Naruto, who had been raised by the man since a little after his birth, found themselves growing a grudging respect for him. However, that did not stop the two of them from moving out and getting their own place when they both came of age. Naturally, their apartment complex was a block down from Kakashi's own. Just because they wanted to move out on their own, did not mean they wanted to cut ties with the man. Not to mention he happened to be their English teacher.

Living with Naruto was all fine and dandy, especially when he wasn't being a loud, obnoxious moron (sadly, that seemed to be his permanent state of mind), but he often got these ideas that he could just go out and invite people over without Sasuke's consent. Like now, Sasuke thought as the entire basketball team flooded his sanctuary away from people and flopped themelves onto the couch. They sat and laughed and joked with each other, clearly enjoying one another's company.

Normally, Sasuke would feel obliged to sit with them and "be part of the team", as Naruto put it. But today he felt a huge headache coming on and felt no such obligation.

Sasuke walked into his bedroom and dropped his bag at the foot of his bed, kicking the door shut behind him. He was about to out his earphones in to block out the noise and get some homework done when Naruto stormed in with a big, stupid grin on his face and grabbed his arm.

"What?" demanded Sasuke, fury evident in his tone of voice.

Naruto's grin widened as he pushed Sasuke back into the living room. "Just making sure you aren't getting too antisocial," he replied cheekily.

Sasuke smacked his hands away from him. Scowling, he moved on his own and pulled up a stool from the kitchen to sit on.

Most of his team welcomed him into their circle, while others such as Neji and Shikamaru smirked knowingly. It seemed as if they were chatting about the rather odd coaching of Kakashi and Gai, which were rather clashed at times. Sasuke was fully prepared to readily ignore the conversation until Suigetsu piped up.

"So Sasuke, what did Karin make you get her for her birthday?"

What.

Sasuke gave him an odd look. "What are you talking about?" His voice was hard.

Suigetsu faltered. "Karin's birthday? It's this Friday, man."

Well shit.

One thing Sasuke prided himself on was his impeccable memory. Clearly, it had completely and utterly failed him this time around because Karin's birthday slipped his mind entirely. Since this was Suigetsu, Karin's longtime friend (though that in itself was questionable at times), and not Kiba or Naruto, damn pranksters and a pain in his ass, he had to assume that he was serious and that he needed to find a gift fast.

Sasuke's hands came up to his face and he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Why the hell didn't she mention anything earlier?" he asked no one in particular.

Suigetsu gave a short laugh and smirked. "I don't pretend to know how her mind works."

Sasuke could just picture the fit she'd have if he didn't get her anything she liked. "What am I supposed to get her? It's already Thursday and the stores are closed by now."

Naruto, for his part, had previously been listening intently but was now positively beaming. "Oh _no_," he said sarcastically, bringing his hands to his forehead, "what are we ever going to _do_? You're not gonna get an expensive enough gift for her and then what?" He suddenly drew in a deep breath in a mock gasp. His voice came down to a whisper. "What if she breaks up with you?"

Kiba snorted loudly. "Man, that would be like a dream," he chuckled.

Sasuke glared at the two of them. Did _no one_ like his girlfriend? Even Suigetsu was struggling to contain his laughter.

"Come on guys," Lee admonished, "Karin is not that bad once you get to know her."

Sasuke made a mental note to be extra nice to the extra youthful man.

"I agree," affirmed Sai, awkward moment extraordinaire. "Karin's face is almost symmetrical enough to make up for her less than pleasing interior."

No one bothered to muffle their laughter this time around. Neji and Shikamaru were only grinning, but Naruto, Kiba, and Suigetsu were practically on the floor in their typical insufferable manner.

"Shut up, Sai," Sasuke growled out, not used to being the piñata of the group.

"However, her hairstyle is more than a little unsett – "

"I said _shut up_."

Neji waited a moment before asking Sasuke, "Why is it that you can't go tomorrow after school to find her something?"

Sasuke sighed, "I promised Kakashi that I would help him put together a test for his ninth grade classes."

"We can get her something for you," Lee chirped, ever the helpful one.

"No." Like hell was he going to let these dumbasses manage something as important as this on their own.

"What would she even want, anyway?" Naruto asked, a finger coming up to scratch his scarred cheek.

"Probably purses and stuff," Shikamaru drawled, speaking up at last. "She's a girl. They like that sort of thing."

"What kind of stuff do you buy Ino?" probed Choji.

"Hell if I know. She either tells me what to buy her or takes my money and gets it herself."

Choji grinned. "Sounds like you two have it all figured out."

"And she doesn't get mad that you don't put any thought or any of that crap into her present?" Suigetsu asked, incredulous.

Shikamaru smirked leisurely. "Not as long as she gets what she wants. Which is fine by me. I'm not really the kind of guy who willingly goes into malls to look at a bunch of clothes for hours on end."

"Everyone," Lee said loudly, standing up in the process, "we must get back on track and help our teammate, Sasuke, to find his most beautiful and youthful girlfriend the perfect gift for her eighteenth birthday."

_About god damn time_, Sasuke thought darkly. Honestly, was it really that hard for his supposed "friends" to stay on topic just this one time until his problem was solved?

"What do you propose Sasuke gets her, Suigetsu?" Neji put forth, arms crossed.

"A noose," Kiba muttered none too quietly under his breath.

Naruto slapped his hands over his mouth in a poor attempt to stop his laughter. Sasuke did his best to try and ignore them.

"How am I supposed to know? I never go out shopping with her or anything," Suigetsu barked.

Neji looked at him calmly. "You spend the most time with her of all of us here, save perhaps Sasuke. It's only natural that you know more about her than us."

"Not about this I don't."

"This shouldn't be so damn complicated," said Sasuke, frustrated beyond belief. He was sorely tempted to just go out and buy Karin a gift card to one of the big-name brands out there.

Shino, who had been quiet up until now, spoke in his trademark low voice, "I suggest getting her a variety of things. She would likely assume that you decided to go all out for her as opposed to not knowing what to buy her."

Shikamaru turned to Shino. "That's not a bad idea. It's not like Sasuke's lacking in the financial department, either," he mentioned as he scratched his chin absentmindedly.

"And when do you suppose I go out and get these gifts?" Sasuke asked. "We still have yet to figure that out."

"I still don't see why you don't just let us take care of it," Naruto said.

Sasuke glared at him. Naruto was wasting his time with all these stupid questions. "None of you would know what to get her. And the few of you who _do_ know would more than likely buy shit that she won't like just to screw with her."

Sasuke laced his fingers together and brought them to his chin – his favoured thinking position. He ran through all the possibilities in his mind of how to pull this off without tipping Karin or her friends off that he had forgotten he birthday. There was really only one way he could think of at the moment, and he knew for a fact that a certain someone wouldn't like it in the least.

"Naruto," he started, "You're going to have to fill in for me with Kakashi tomorrow afternoon."

Naruto's jaw dropped in outrage. "What?_ No!_"

"Look, I didn't want to have to do this to you – "

"But it's_ your_ turn and I already covered you last time, you bastard!" Naruto fumed.

Sasuke sighed. "What can I do to change your mind?"

"Nothing," came the immediate reply. "As far as I'm concerned, Karin breaking up with you will be the best thing to happen to you in ages."

"Naruto!" Lee gasped. "As Sasuke's best friend and teammate, you should be more than happy to help him in his time of need!"

Naruto simply huffed stubbornly and looked away, grumbling under his breath.

Sasuke sat quietly, looking at Naruto intently. The blonde tried his best to remain indifferent, but soon found himself growing increasingly uncomfortable.

"Fine!" he finally shouted, throwing his hands up in defeat.

Sasuke smirked. He knew all along that Naruto didn't have it in him to deny his aid to anyone, pissed off or not. His morals were too high and his irrational yet admirable need to make everyone as happy as he possibly could saw to that. "Thanks," he nodded.

Naruto eyed him strangely. "You really like her, huh?" he said after a while.

Sasuke merely rolled his eyes and ignored the annoying looks his friends gave him.

Yeah, he really did.

* * *

**Author's** **Note:** So this is officially my first SasuSaku fic. I'm hoping the first chapter is at least interesting enough to give me the thumbs up to continue writing.

To the Karin bashers out there, please don't hate me! Yes, Sasuke genuinely likes her and all, but I swear I'll make it up to you. And though I myself am not a Karin basher, she is a bit on the mean side in this story but I won't be making her out to be the totally shallow, moronic, slutty bitch I've noticed quite a few authors have portrayed her to be. Yes, she will have a few bad traits and you guys will probably hate her anyway but I'm going to try and make her more of the educated individual I feel Kishimoto wanted her to be (besides that whole Sasuke-obsessed thing anyways).

Anyways, please tell me what you think and hopefully I will be updating soon! REVIEW!


	2. Unfortunate Incidences of Puddles

**Chapter 2: Unfortunate Incidences of Puddles, Frizzy Hair, and Bullies**

The first sign that Sakura was going to have a bad day was her alarm clock not going off. Because her alarm clock did not go off, she woke up half an hour late and had to rush to get ready so that she could sprint to class. And since she had to rush to get ready, she did not pay attention to the clothes she picked out. As luck would have it, Sakura had hastily grabbed what she dubbed her "lazy day" clothes, ergo her rattiest of sweaters and baggiest of sweats. To wear such an outfit to school, especially for a lovely target such as herself, was sure to land Sakura in the most hellish of all hellful days. And as the icing to the magnificent cake that was today, a large truck sprayed muddy water on her left side as she was running to school.

Perfect.

The stolen glances and jested snickers that followed Sakura all throughout the day stuck to her skin like a toxic paste, seeping into her body and making it very hard to ignore the hurtful jabs at her muddy clothing or just her in general. For every sneer and whisper that was thrown her way, it was but more fuel to her frustration, and soon enough, she felt her eyebrow tick in anger. Now that it was lunch, she was sure it could only get worse. Her only hope was to find Ino quickly so that she could take her home to get changed.

Sakura shut her locker door quickly and turned her head, scanning the hallways for any sign of familiar blonde hair. No such luck. Grudgingly, Sakura bowed her head and power walked through the crowds.

"_Love_ your outfit today," laughed a voice behind her. "It suits you perfectly."

Sakura stopped. This was her chance, she could finally prove to everyone and _herself_ that she wasn't a weakling that everyone could step on without thought, that she was someone to respect. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and prepared to give the girl behind her a piece of her mind.

But she had already left.

Flushing, Sakura steered herself in the other direction, telling herself mentally that avoiding everyone may very well be the easiest route in this situation. But still, she couldn't help but feel disappointed, as if she were cheated somehow. She didn't have time to reflect on this, however, because she heard the familiar laughter of her regular tormentors.

Karin and her two friends, Ami Watanabe and Kin Tsuchi, had caught sight of her and were now cat-calling and whistling after her.

Sakura tried to hurry past but Ami's voice stopped her.

"Just look at the shirt on her! Makes you wonder if she even owns a mirror," Ami stated, eyeing Sakura up and down which made her feel even more uncomfortable.

Sakura's hold on her books tightened. She wanted desperately to say something, _do_ _anything_, to prove to herself that she was more than this. So she pushed herself to open her mouth and willed her voice to keep strong.

"Leave me alone," she said quietly, almost a whisper.

Ami raised her eyebrows before grinning ruthlessly. "And why would I do that when you own shit like those rags?" she mocked, nodding at the still muddy tatters on Sakura's body.

A small group began to form around the four of them, and the whispers and pointed fingers poked and prodded at Sakura until she found herself feeling strangely agitated, which was uncommon when Ino was not present.

Kin snorted at Sakura's unresponsive behavior. "That's a little unfair, Ami. She probably doesn't have enough money to afford decent clothes, you know."

When the small gathering of people surrounding her whooped and laughed at her expense, something in Sakura felt like it was close to bursting. When she saw Karin's smirk, it did.

What was that Ino said yesterday? Sakura's mind reeled as she racked her brain to remember. She was sure it had something to do with…ah yes – her inner bitch. And she could tell her inner bitch was positively murderous right now.

"And what's your excuse for that outfit?" Sakura heard herself say to Kin, her voice low but cold. "Poor taste?"

It was true what they said about being able to hear pins dropping in tense situations, Sakura thought. The hallway was quiet, it seemed as if not one soul could do anything but gawk. Then, what began as a single snort turned into full out laughter and excited whispers.

"Oh my god, I can't believe she said that!"

"Look at their _faces!_"

"I'd hate to be her right now."

"I'd _love _to be her right now."

Sakura, for her part, ignored the people around her in favour of the delicious adrenaline flowing through her veins. She felt so alive and _free_.

Kin reeled back, shocked. "_Excuse _me?"

"You heard me."

_This whole inner bitch thing is gonna get me killed,_ Sakura thought briefly.

"Calm down, Kin." Karin spoke calmly, but her eyes glittered fiercely. "I apologize, Sakura. I don't know what's gotten into my friends."

Bullshit.

Sakura merely shrugged. "Maybe you should pick better friends." Holy crap, she was on a roll.

It was tense in the crowded hallway. Sakura could tell from Karin's calculating gaze that whatever she had in store for her would not be enjoyable in the least. Yet she couldn't seem to stop herself from flapping her big mouth and digging herself an early grave. The strange part was, the knowledge that she could stand up for herself and her backbone was very much intact made that grave seem like it was worth it.

Karin closed her eyes and appeared to be taking in a deep breath before she spoke up at last. "I know that it must be frustrating to be at the butt of everyone's jokes and not be able to fit in and all that teenage, drama crap," she started with a bored tone, her red eyes now fully focused on Sakura again, "and I understand that you've probably been trying your best to speak up and finally have your moment to impress us all and make my friends and I look like the bad guys here, but just know this. You. Are. Nothing."

Sakura lowered her head, her fists clenching and unclenching when an emotion that must have been a mix of shame and fury rushed through her from top to bottom.

Karin continued in a bored drawl, crossing her arms. "You can say whatever you want about us, and it may be funny to you and a few other people, but the unfortunate thing is that it will never have any effect on us because your significance to this school and to everyone here is microscopic. You are just another little fly caught up in a worthless daze. So yay for you, _Sakura_. You finally got to show us that there is a bit of spine underneath that shitty exterior of yours. It's just too bad that these five little minutes will be the highlight of your –"

"_That's enough._"

Before Sakura could even think about saying or doing anything, the crowd opened and made way for a boy with bright blond hair who she recognized immediately as Naruto Uzumaki – Sasuke Uchiha's self-proclaimed best friend.

Naruto was what one could only describe as a strange boy. Loud and obnoxious, he had a stubborn attitude yet at the same time had an undeniable charm that made it almost impossible for one to dislike him. Despite his rather idiotic moments, he carried a genuine air about him that Sakura couldn't help but admire.

And considering he was currently standing up for Sakura when no one else dared to made him hero-worthy in her books.

Karin sneered, breaking her detached demeanor. "What do you want, Naruto?"

Naruto returned the look. "You've gone too far, Karin. I don't know how you can go about being so selfish and arrogant. And I know that you're the type of person who won't be satisfied with your life no matter how great it is, but that doesn't mean you have to make everybody else's life harder!"

The people around were quiet and still, rooted to the floor in anticipation.

"Why don't you just go about your way and mind your own damn business?" Karin scoffed, beginning to grow red in the face.

"Like how you minded your own when she was just walking through the hall?" Naruto pointed out, crossing his arms.

"Oh please," Karin rolled her eyes, "like you really care about a freak like her."

Something in Naruto seemed to snap then. His eyes darkened dangerously, and when he spoke, it was raw with emotion and vehemence. "And what's wrong with being a freak? What's wrong with being different?"

Sakura had a feeling that this went farther than her and her sense of fashion. Looking at how agitated Naruto was, it was obvious that Karin had hit a nerve in the boy.

She found she felt the need to step forward – felt it in her gut – and so step forward she did. Sakura slowly reached a hand out to Naruto with uncertainty before finally placing it on his shoulder.

Naruto turned and glanced at her, and she was struck with just how blue they were and the sheer amount of sadness they held. His focus soon returned to Karin, whose face was flushed with anger.

"If you really think so lowly of freaks like us," said Naruto, gesturing to himself and Sakura, "then you really don't understand Sasuke. And that's why you don't deserve to be with him."

And with that, Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand off his shoulder and stalked out of the hallway, leaving Karin, Ami, and Kin standing there in bafflement and shock. The crowd parted easily enough for the two, and Sakura found herself being led by Naruto outside of the school and into the parking lot, earning themselves many stares in the process.

Naruto stopped at last and his hand slipped away from Sakura's. He stood there, uncharacteristically quiet and Sakura was at a loss of what to do.

"Um," she chewed out oh so intelligently, "are…are you okay?"

"Yeah," he spoke finally and let out a big whoosh of air, as if ridding himself of the accumulated stress. "Man, she pisses me off!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his hands up in an exaggerated fashion only he could pull off.

Sakura laughed softly. "Yeah, Karin tends to have that effect on most people."

"Mm," Naruto agreed, nodding sagely, "that's what happens when you act like a bitch all the time."

This time Sakura laughed not so softly, and he beamed brightly at her. It seemed he was the type to never hold on to anger for long. She should probably take lessons sometime.

He stuck his hand out towards her. "I'm Naruto," he introduced himself.

Sakura shook his hand with a smile. "Sakura. Anyways, thanks for sticking up for me," Sakura said genuinely. "It means a lot."

Naruto only shrugged it off. "If anything I was doing Karin a favour. Just imagine what Ino would have done to her if no one stopped. You're her friend, right?"

Sakura nodded and quirked an eyebrow upwards. "Are you familiar with Ino?"

"Of course," he replied, "she's Shikamaru's girlfriend."

Right. Sakura had forgotten Shikamaru was on the basketball team with Naruto.

"Ah," she said simply. "Well, I should probably get home and change. Thanks again, Naruto." She wouldn't make it in time to class next block but it was probably better than staying in her sticky sweats.

"Okay, I'll walk you home," announced Naruto.

"Oh no," Sakura shook her head quickly, "you've done more than enough already and –"

"There's no way I'm letting you walk all the way home by yourself and I don't want to go to pre-calculus next block anyways."

"But my apartment isn't even that far away!" Sakura lied.

But Naruto was a stubborn one. "That's cool. That just means we have more time to hang out."

"Fine," Sakura sighed, giving up, "you can come."

"Great!" Naruto slung his arm around her shoulders and, after shoving that very arm off, she grudgingly led him to her place, wondering how he had gotten the best of her.

"You know what Sakura?"

"What?" she grumbled.

"We're going to be good friends, you and I," he declared. "I can feel it."

Despite rolling her eyes at him, Sakura couldn't fight the smile off her face.

Sakura ended up not only skipping the third block, but most of fourth, as well. She blamed it on Naruto entirely, of course. That boy was a terrible influence.

And yet, Sakura found herself talking to him almost as easily as Ino or Hinata. There was something about Naruto that made him so comfortable to talk to. She told him about her dream of entering the medical field and visiting Italy one day. He told her about his love of ramen and the different flavours available at his go-to restaurant Ichiraku. They argued about a lot of things too, from movies and genres to why some people happened to enjoy reading.

"I still don't see how your eyes don't roll back into your head from boredom," said Naruto on their way back to school.

Sakura, properly dressed this time, fought the urge to roll her eyes. It seemed for every well stated argument Sakura made, he had another half-assed whine to follow it up. "Because _my _eyes can properly absorb the information on the page and relay it back to my brain," she retorted, giving him a sidelong glance, "unlike some people."

Naruto gaped at her. "Well _that_ was uncalled for!"

Sakura laughed at his expression.

He crossed his arms indignantly and glared at her. "How can you even see when your hair is in your eyes all the time?" He gestured to her stringy bangs that fell just over her eyes.

"I can see fine."

"Yeah, well I can barely see you. Here, just let me –" Naruto stopped just in front of her and attempted to push her hair to the side.

"Naruto, what are you doing?!" exclaimed Sakura, alarmed and not entirely used to someone shoving their hands in her face.

"Relax, I'm just trying to – man, what is up with your hair?"

No matter how many times Naruto's big goofy hands pushed her hair to the side, it swept right back over her eyes.

"If you just _left it alone_," Sakura bit out, "then maybe it wouldn't be so annoying."

Naruto ignored her, but stepped back and examined her red face, his finger on his chin as if deep in thought. "Hmm…I think you need to cut your hair."

Sakura snorted. "Ino's been saying that for years."

"I normally don't agree with Ino, but I think she's right for once. Say, what are you doing after school today?"

"Avoiding you."

"_Sakura!_" Naruto gasped, scandalized.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't have any plans."

"Great! I'm coming over then – oh wait…" Naruto frowned suddenly, but soon the grin came back full force. "Okay, thanks to the bastard, I have to help Kakashi after school, but I'll come to your place after that!"

It seemed he had a habit of inviting himself to people's places. But lucky for him, Sakura had no real desire to stop him, even if it was painfully obvious that he had some sort of plan in the making to do something about her rather unkempt hair.

Sasuke shut his car door closed and sauntered to the entrance of the mall. His aim: jewelry. It seemed the simplest of possible gifts to give to Karin and yet had the potential to be the most extravagant, as well. He sighed, that woman really was a pain to deal with. Especially now that he learned she was hosting a party later that night and fully expected him to be there. Now that he thought about it, maybe it was the topic of her birthday and birthday party that he ignored whenever Karin began chattering on and on about it. No use worrying about it now, though.

Ignoring the longing stares of females of all ages, he headed straight for the jewelry department. Upon entering the elegant store, he immediate scanned the various twinkling necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, trying to find one that stood out.

"May I help you, sir?"

Sasuke turned to find a middle-aged man in a dark suit smiling politely at him.

"I need something for my girlfriend's birthday," Sasuke drawled.

The salesman beamed. "Really? Oh how exciting! Do you have anything in mind?" he quickly asked.

"No," he replied simply.

"Oh," the man faltered, "well, we have many different items that I'm sure your girlfriend would just _adore_." All this was said with a bright, bleached smile. "Do you know what style she likes or any of her tastes?"

"No."

"That's quite alright. Do you have a picture?"

"Not on me."

The salesman's eyebrows rose. "I see. Let's just take a look at a few selections, shall we?"

Sasuke spent the next ten minutes glancing over different, overpriced gold and silver. Some were intricate, others more simple, and some had precious stones of all sizes and colours. Of course all the while the salesman talked nonstop about little details and facts of his more favoured jewelry.

A set of twin sapphire earrings caught Sasuke's attention. They sparkled brilliantly and he was suddenly struck by how reminiscent they were of Naruto. It was then that Sasuke realized that the sickening, overused phrase of, "It reminded me of you," could very well be applied here.

He turned to the salesman and interrupted him mid-speech. "Do you have anything with rubies or garnets?"

The salesman did not hesitate. "Why, of course, sir."

Sasuke waited expectantly until the man hurried to show him some samples. He guided him through the store's different displays of trinkets and baubles of red.

Sasuke scanned the sections impatiently, wanting to get back home sooner rather than later. As he walked through the aisle, a sterling silver necklace caught his eye. The chain was relatively simple, but what drew his attention was the large garnet used as the pendant. It was carved in a droplet fashion and was adorned with many small white crystals that he assumed to be diamonds.

"That one," he said.

The salesman smiled. "Wonderful choice, sir! This is an original piece from Venice. Truly one of a kind."

Sasuke simply nodded and waited for the man to wrap it up at the cash register. He breathed a deep sigh of relief at one obstacle finally being triumphed. Now he only had to stomach going to a party with likely a hundred people cramped together and trying to talk to him.

Kami save him.

"It'll be fine, Mom," Sakura said for what seemed like the hundredth time.

She had told her mother about Naruto coming over sometime later in the day and as soon as she mentioned his name, she had grown noticeably fretful and worried.

"Of all people my daughter had to invite into my home, it had to be _him,_" her mother sighed in frustration.

Now Sakura thought that was a little unfair. She didn't even _know_ him and yet she had clearly already made her judgment. "He's a good guy, mom. I don't see why you're so snappish," she said harshly.

Her mother merely pinched her nose in return. "Because_ I_ know what he's capable of."

Before Sakura could ask what she meant, a knock sounded at the door. She gave her mother one more look and went to open the door. Naruto and Ino walked right inside and made themselves at home on the couch, greeting her cheerfully on the way.

"Nice couch," her new blond friend commented amiably as he plopped himself down.

Sakura cocked a brow. "You brought Ino?"

"Of course," answered Ino instead with a wave of her hand. "You guys are going to need my skills for your much overdue haircut." She brought out a small, black velvet case from her purse and opened it to reveal several scissors and combs.

Sakura groaned. "Look Naruto, I know you originally planned to give me a new hairstyle or whatever, but I'm comfortable with my hair as it is so I just don't see the need –"

"It's not a whole new hairstyle, Forehead," Ino interrupted, standing from the couch and inspecting her hair at a much closer angle. "I'm just cutting your bangs back a bit and trimming your split ends." She lifted a frizzy lock with narrowed eyes. "…Maybe deep conditioning wouldn't be out of the question, either."

Sakura smacked her hand away. "This whole thing is out of the question!"

"Aw, don't be like that Sakura," chided Naruto. "We're just trying to help."

Ino nodded. "If anything, think of this as a favour for me. I've been practically begging you to let me cut your hair for _months_."

"Why don't we just watch a movie or something?" Sakura suggested hopefully.

Diversion had helped her often in the past, after all. It was a practical strategy and with Naruto's short attention span, it likely wouldn't fail her.

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Great idea! We can watch a movie while Ino cuts your hair."

Damn it.

The clip-clopping of heels caused Sakura to look up in time to see her mother enter the living room in her work clothes. She stopped just short of the doorway and crossed her arms in her typical manner.

Naruto's jaw dropped and he jumped up from the couch. "_Granny Tsunade!?_"

Sakura's mother frowned disapprovingly at him. "Hello to you too, Naruto."

Sakura and Ino looked back and forth between the two in bafflement.

"You two know each other?" asked Sakura.

"This little terror here has been torturing me with his constant presence at the hospital since he was five," answered Tsunade. "I can't recall how many times he and the Uchiha brat broke something or needed stitches because they got into a fight or decided to explore empty construction sites."

Ah. That explained her mother's reluctance in letting Naruto into their home. In fact, Tsunade seemed to know the boy quite well, if their behaviour was any hint. Sakura was relieved. To be honest, she didn't like the prejudiced way her mother spoke of Naruto earlier. It was much better knowing that her annoyance stemmed from past experience rather than unexplained hate, However, it was also pathetic how the mere mention of Sasuke Uchiha's name made her heart quicken, she thought miserably.

Naruto, on his part, managed to find it in himself to look apologetic, and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "We were adventuring…" he mumbled. "But wait – you're Sakura's mom?" he asked incredulously.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Obviously. Why else would she be here?"

"It just seems weird!"

"Well get used to it," Tsunade barked. "Now you listen to me, Naruto, if I come back to find so much as a _couch cushion_ misplaced I will come after your head. Got that?"

Naruto nodded hastily.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Good. As for you two," she said, nodding towards Sakura and Ino, "watch him."

Satisfied, Sakura's mother continued on her way out the door to the hospital for her late night shift.

Sakura was the first to speak. "Naruto, just what the hell did you _do_ when you were a kid?"

He shrugged, "Just a prank here and there."

"I find that very hard to believe."

"It doesn't matter. Come on, Sakura," Ino chirped, standing up and grabbing Sakura's hand, "we've got some conditioning to do."

"No, Ino-pig I don't –"

But it was all for not, for Ino was ruthless this time around and dragged Sakura to the bathroom. She threw her friend in and shut the door.

Sakura was about to fight her way out or yell at her or something, but Ino's expression stopped her.

Her friend grinned at her with pride. "I heard what happened today with Karin. Practically everyone's talking about it."

Sakura's eyes widened and she suddenly felt the odd urge to skip school Monday.

Ino caught the look she made and laughed, "See? I told you your inner bitch was extra sassy! Now hurry up and put your head in the bathtub so I can wash that bird's nest you call hair."

Sakura found herself somehow unwilling to object and obediently leaned against the side of the tub, mentally preparing herself for an hour of torture.

"Hey, Sakura," Ino began, "is it true that you slammed Karin against a locker and punched her in the face true?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** SORRY. I'm so sorry for the really late update!

I know that it's been like a year since I've updated and I know that this chapter doesn't have any SasuSaku yet but I'll make up for it next chapter!

Don't be afraid to leave a review :)


End file.
